| Wyleyia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | Maniraptora |
| Genus: | †Wyleyia Harrison &Walker, 1973 |
| Species: | †W. valdensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Wyleyia valdensis Harrison & Walker, 1973 | |
Wyleyia is an extinctgenus of indeterminatemaniraptoran dinosaurs containing a singlespecies,Wyleyia valdensis, known from the earlyCretaceous period ofSussex,England. The genus is known from a single specimen, a damaged righthumerus. It was named to honor J. F. Wyley, who found the specimen inWeald Clay deposits ofHenfield inSussex (England). Thespecific namevaldensis means "from theWeald".
The bone was found in theHastings Beds, a series ofValanginian deposits,[1] dated to140 to 136 million years ago.[2]
Formerly believed to be from a non-avialancoelurosaur, some researchers accepted it as an early bird, although its exactsystematic position is unresolved. It has been proposed to be anenantiornithean or an earlyneornithinepalaeognath.C.J.O. Harrison andC.A. Walker found it "advisable to consider the new genusincertae sedis until further evidence of affinity is forthcoming."[3]
In 2007,Darren Naish and David M. Martill concluded that the bird-like characters of the humerus could not confidently be used to support avian affinities. As such, they regardedWyleyia as an indeterminate member of theManiraptora,[4] a position followed by Barker and colleagues in their 2024 discussion on Cretaceous theropods of England.[5]
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